Cosmos-slideout - Cosmo

first attempts at moodboards, not completely sure if i like them but it was fun :3

somethin small i did based on some feelings and how my brain refuses to see ourselves as human in any way.

Activities for nonhumans. Tested by me.

In the morning, stretch. Take time stretching every muscle and joint to the best of your ability, even if its only for 5 minutes. Take up a yoga routine if you wish. This has helped immensely with my chronic joint and muscle pain.

Sit in the sun for a few minutes. Soak it in, enjoy the slowness of the world for a second.

Meditate. Learn to be in your own mind. Learn to be bored. Sit in the woods and listen to whats around you. See and feel from a standstill. Learning boredom has helped me curb some of my ADHD symptoms

Journal. Decorate jt with stickers. Make lists and notes and write blurbs about your day or your species. Practice introspection, gratitude, positive affirmations. Look at things objectively, but also analyze your emotions. Chronicle our history as a community, write everything that you can find about nonhumans down. History will thank you. Log your shifts, your days, the weather.

Take up a workout routine. Calisthenics is the poison I picked; it focuses on moving your body instead of moving a separate weight. It builds muscle you can use for a range of activities rather than a few set scenarios.

Quadrobics leaves too much room for injury if you go any farther than bear crawls. Most people parroting tips for quadrobics are children with no background in exercise. My alternative is going for a run; it gets out energy and achieves everything quadrobics would.

Go into the woods. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique to test your senses in an environment you've never been in. Get curious, take pictures and note the species of flora and fauna in your area. Scout the area for unique formations and spots. Doing this has increased my confidence as a visually impaired man tenfold; I've learned how to use hearing to my advantage in most aspects of my life.

Go swimming in a creek. Even if your species doesn't swim, it can be euphoric. Dry yourself out on a rock in the sun afterwards.

Hell, just look towards going camping or backpacking for more than a few hours. Save for it, plan for it, prepare for it. Camping alone builds independence, camping with friends builds community.

Check out INaturalist. Its a website where others post pictures of flora/fauna, including the general location of where they found it. You don't need to post anything, just being on there and seeing the kinds of organisms in your area is enough.

Start a recipe book of things your species could and would eat. Even if they're just ingredients, its still a good activity.

Connect to your community. Join clubs and groups in your area. Volunteer at places that need volunteers. If you work, unionize. A real life community is essential for your mind. Lacking community is probably why you feel like shit.

Don't just stockpile gear, make your own. Don't resrict yourself to masks; ears, tails, collars, hand paws, feet paws, claws, wings, beaks, scales, fins, all things you could make with materials that lie around your house unused.

Apply makeup and body paint to mimic your species' markings. Enjoy the process as much as you enjoy the outcome. Look towards getting tattoos if wanted.

Sea salt spray can give your hair a wild look, if thats something you want. It can also cause it to change color slightly.

And, if possible, look to take supplements that cause hair and nail growth, if youre a hair/nail having being.

Drop your shaving routine if you wish. Shaving isn't really hygeine. Or implement one if your species is smooth. I like to shave in similar patterns that cats would be shaved in.

Take the time to clean yourself beyond a simple body and hair wash. Deep clean everything and emerge a new being.

Fuck it. Use horse shampoo.

Let yourself Feel. Suppressing emotions is a human construct made to weaken you, made to make you subservient. If you're angry, be angry. If you're sad, be sad. If something makes you happy, never stop doing it.

Let shifts come and go. Acknowledge them. Log them. Never supress them. They'll only emerge later.

Accept yourself as you are. Affirm yourself. You are enough as you are and you dont need to do anything to prove yourself.

Redecorate your spaces. Revamp your nest, light some candles or put on a humidifier. Introduce plants, crystals, and generally outdoor things into your indoor living space.

Clothing is everything. I find that clothing I can't freely move in makes me dysphoric, so I stick to tank tops and light sweatpants. I dress light and I show skin. Similarly, find the styles of dress you find comforting and euphoric.

Scent your area. Spray something around your house, wear a perfume you like. The stronger the smell, the better.

(Edited 20th Jan 2025 @ 9:14 PM - Fixed Grammar + Readability)

CWR Encounter 07: Bigg’s Transients 

Photos by Mark Malleson

relieving wing related dysphoria

something that I see many winged folks experience, including myself, is wing related dysphoria. more specifically, dysphoria relating to not being able to fly or not having wings physically. all my life this is a struggle I've dealt with, and I understand how painful it is. there are ways to relieve it though! here's some things that I've come up with and suggest to those who are struggling:

create mood boards, wallpapers, stim boards, and pinterest boards relating to the sky, your wings, theriotype, shifted form, etc

dive into media that has winged people/creatures (maximum ride, the maleficent movies, the croaking, just to name a few)

play games that let you fly, either with or without wings. bonus points if you're able to do it in VR (roblox, minecraft, feralheart, aer memories of old, superflight, fugl, etc)

practice lucid dreaming or astral projection

blankets!! especially weighted blankets, this can mimic the feeling of having wings

create or buy cosplay wings that look like your own (either typical cosplay wings worn with a harness/straps, or a backpack with wings, or a shawl in the shape of wings)

wear the colors of your wings, theriotype or shifted form

surround yourself with wing related themes or themes related to your theriotype or shifted form (buttons, pins, stickers, doodles, plushies, etc)

wear wing related accessories (rings, necklaces, hair pins, wings you can put on the laces of your shoes, etc)

if you're able to, get wings tattooed on your back or get a tattoo related to your theriotype or shifted form

if you're able to, participate in sky/air related sports or activities (skydiving, wingsuit flying, paragliding, hang gliding, etc)

draw/doodle your wings, theriotype or shifted form!!

meditate and visualize your wings. feel their weight, see their colors and textures, etc.

connect and talk to others who have wings if you need support and are looking for folks who have had similar experiences

carry around a backpack and make sure to give it some weight! having a backpack of a similar weight to my phantom wings tends to make my phantom wings go away, if you're looking to stop your phantom wings from existing for a bit for any reason

collect feathers that look like yours if you have feathered wings

connect with nature! this helps ground me and feel more connected to my natural self. I suggest going outside on a windy day or climbing trees.

stick your head/arms out of the car when you're going somewhere! this is one of my favorite things to do and it mimics what I imagine flying to feel like (pro tip, don't do this if you're driving)

make your room feel like the environment you belong in (using nature or wind ambient sounds, fans to get air flowing, that sort of thing)

watch flying POV videos

I'm sure there are more things that I could add, but I think that this is all my brain can think of at the moment. feel free to add onto the list if there's anything else that any of you want to add if I missed anything!

made some paper claws today, absolutely love it. Theyre the correct size and everything. They are a bit stiff and fall off quite easily, but they were only ever meant to be temporary anyway. Got really strong phantom claws now, even though i took them off and am currently in my nest. Very lovely, overall :3

An orca (Orcinus orca) breaches off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, USA

by Guy Schmickle

made this for oomf but you can have it too. a little breakdown of my process with bird wings if anyone finds it useful

love sitting with my back to the heater, really helps me feel my wings and alleviate the uncomfy feeling of phantom wings

orca